Pomona Sri Ranganatha Temple Fund Raising Kaimkaryam : Special articles on JitanthE StOtram : Part V

[Guest guest]

Sri:

 

Dear SrI Ranganatha BhakthAs :

 

Today , we will study the 16th SlOkam

of the First Jitante .

 

SlOkam 16

*************

yacchAparAdahm kruthavAn

ajn~AnAth PurushOtthama

madh-bhaktha ithi DevEsa

tath sarvam Kshanthum-arhasi

 

(Meaning ) : Oh God of Gods! Oh PurushOtthama! adiyEn

seeks Your aparAdha KshAmaNam . Whatever sins that have been

committed out of my ajn~Anam ( nescience) and vipareetha

Jn~Anam , Thou should forgive me however with the thought that

I am Your devotee .

 

Commentary: Sounaka Maharishi seeks the Lord's pardon here

for the sins accumulated from transgression of Bhagavath

Saasthrams due to ignorance . Here, the bhakthan of the Lord

reminds the Lord that he is totally dependent on the Lord's

grace and compassion and asks Him to forgive the sins

acquired from Bhagavath Saasthra Ullankanam . NirvEdham

( despondency ) over the sins by one seeking Moksham

( Mumukshu) is required . When one atones properly

(sincerely) , out of His infinite compassion towards

the Prapannan , the Lord pardons the aparAdhi :

( " na smarathy apakArANAm satamapi AathmavatthayA ".

This compassion of the Lord has been compared to

the Dayaa river flowing from the Lord like GangA

pravAham and serves as an upAyam for removing

the sins ( sadhA avadhAtha subhagAm Maadhava-

dayaa MandhAkineem vindhathi) .

 

PrAyascchitthams (Expiatory rites) have been ordained

for the sins knowingly committed by a Prapannan .

The Lord gives a light punishment for these and overlooks

others acquired unconsciously out of His compassion for

a Prapannan seeking His pardon .

 

The rite of PrAyascchittham and its effect on the sins

has been pointed out by Vangipuram Nambi as the sole

means to gain the pardon of the Lord :

 

ajn~Ath aTa vaa jn~AnAth aparAdhEshu sathsvapi

PrAyascchittham kshamasvEthi prArTanaikEva kEvalam

 

(Meaning): One could have trespassed knowingly or unknowingly .

The prayer seeking pardon is the only prAyascchittham

to erase these sins .This prAyascchittha Prapatthi ( Puna:

Prapatthi) is different from the earlier one done for

Moksham ( Moksha Prapatthi) .The Prapatthi performed

for Moksham is done only once .

 

The 18th chapter of Srimad Rahasya Thraya Saaram of

Swamy Desikan ( AparAdha ParihArAdhikAram ) deals

at great length about the destrucion of sins acquired after

performing Prapatthi .

 

NamO SrI Ranganathaya ,

Oppiliappan Koil V.Sadagopan

 

P.S: Dear SrI Ranganatha BhakthAs : We have started to find

living quaters for our Temple staff ( 5 Priests and one Cook)

and unite them with their families as soon as Possible .

We need all of Your help to realize this goal . Please go to

our temple web site and send your contributions online :

http://www.Ranganatha.org

Thank You all .